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com --- By The Dwarrow Scholar - Your source for all things Dwarvish ---
Khuzdul is the language of the Dwarves in J.R.R. Tolkien's legendarium set in Middle-earth.
For these Neo-khuzdul documents both the original Tolkien material, David Salo's Neo-Khuzdul and Khuzdul used in Turbine's LoTRO have been used.
This is my personal interpretation of Tolkien's dwarvish language, I do not claim this content to be canon.
This document is an interpretation of Tolkien's work and any Khuzdul related material, all rights are reserved for their proper owners.
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DOC: 26 - Khuzdul Alphabet

Alphabet Types
The Neo-Khuzdul word for "alphabet" is "mannagkâkh", literally meaning "letter order".
There are three variants of mannagkâkh , which are linked to two runic scriptures.

A) "Famnût" - from the first three letters: "fam/unu/ut" - the alphabet used with Moria Cirth (Kirth Khazaddumu) - contains 36 letters
Order: 3SZ0Dcv@eVeyrFf,ujKdl"Rw.82zx6abn9%;0
B) "Famunthaman" - from the first four letters: "fam/unu/thamu/an" - the alphabet used with Ereborian Cirth (Kirth 'Urd) - contains 30 letters
Order: 3S0c@tTFf,l$D.82zx6ajb9%;w1XC0
C) "Famunyam" - from the first three letters: "fam/unu/yamuy" - the alphabet that is used for non-native texts or text written in Blue Mountain Khuzdul, includes several non-native (elvish) runes - uses Moria Cirth, yet can be written in Ereborian Cirth - contains 38 letters
Order: 3S;G08cv@teTRFf,ujKdl$"1D.2zx6abM9%?

Individual Runes
Phonetical Phonetical Phonetical A Word B Word C Word
Angerthas Angerthas Symbol Symbol Symbol Order Order Order
Moria Erebor KHUZDUL RUNE NAME Phonetic type of sound (Western) (Central) (Eastern) Sounds like

_ g g "'om " Glottal stop ʔ ʔ ʔ (English Cockney) "t" in "cat" [kʰɛ̝ʔ] / (North American) "tt" in "button" [bʌʔn̩ ] / (French) "h" in "haut" / (Dutch) sound between "be" and "amen" in "beamen"

a c c " an " ɑ ɑ ä WEST: (English) think of it as a short "a" in "ah!" / (Duth) "a" in "bad" / (French) "â" in "pâte" / (German) "a" in "Tag" // EAST: (French) "a" in "patte" / (Portuguese) "á" in "vá" / (Scottish Gaelic) "a" in "slat 6 4 7

â v v " siginan " (long A) ɑ: ɑ: ä: WEST: (English) as "ah!" / (British English) "a" in "father" / (American English) "a" in "call" / (German) "a" in "Rat" // EAST: (Australian English) "ar" in "car" / (Dutch) "aa" in "zaal" / (Southern American) "i" in "time" 7 8

b 2 2 " batu " voiced bilabial plosive b b b (English) "b" in "bean" / (Dutch) "b" in "boer" / (French) "b" in "boue" / (German) "B" in "Bub" 26 16 27

d 9 9 " datu " voiced alveolar plosive d d d (English) "d" in "admit" / (Dutch) "d" in "dak" / (French) "d" in "dais" / (German) "D" in "Dach" 33 23 34

e z z " en " ɛ ɛ ɛ (English/Dutch) "e" in "bed" / (French) "ê" in "bête" / (German) "e" in "Bett" 27 17 28

ê x x " siginen " (long E) e: e: e WEST: (Scottish English) "ay" in "play" / (French) "é" in "beauté" / (Dutch) "ee" in "vreemd" / (German) "ee" in Seele // EAST: similar to WEST but made shorter 28 18 29

f 3 3 " fam " voiceless labiodental fricative f f f (English) "f" in "fill" / (Dutch) "f" in "fiets" / (German) "f" in "fade" / (French) "f" in "fabuleuse" 1 1 1

g r R " gatu " voiced velar plosive ɡ ɡ ɡ (English) "g" in "gaggle" / (French) "g" in "gain" / (Dutch) "k" in "zakdoek / (German) "g" in "Lüge"
12 13

gh y T " ghamu " heavily aspired voiced velar plosive gʰ gʰ gʰ heavily aspired form of "g" 11 7 12

h f f " ham " voiceless glottal transition h h h: WEST (and Central): (English) "h" in "high" / (German) "H" in "Hass" / (Dutch) "h" in "haat" // EAST: same sound as WEST but longer 14 9 15

i l l " ir " i ɪ ɪ WEST: (Dutch) "ie" in "biet" / (French) "i" in "fini" / (Spanish) "i" in "tipo" // EAST: (English) "i" in "hit" / (Dutch) "i" in "zit" / (German) "i" in "bitte" 20 11 21

î " " " siginir " (long i) i: i: i: (English) "ee" as in "free" / (Faroese) "i" as in "il" / (German) "ie" in "Ziele" / (Dutch) "ie" in "fier" 21 23

j R $ " jatu " WEST: voiced palato-alveolar affricate / EAST: voiced palato-alveolar fricative d͡ʒ d͡ʒ ʒ WEST (and Central): (English) "j" in "jump / (French) "dj" in "djinn" / (German) "Dsch" in "Dschungel" // EAST: (ENGLISH) "si" in "vision" / (Dutch/German) "g" in "garage / (French) "j" in "jour" 22 12 22

k e e " kam " Voiceless velar plosive k k k (ENGLISH) "k" in kiss 10 11

kh eV t " khamu " heavily aspired voiceless velar plosive kʰ kʰ kʰ Heavily Aspired - similar to (ENGLISH) "k" in "King" 9 6 10

l a a " lal " alveolar lateral approximant ("clear l") l l l (English) "l" in "let" / (Dutch) "l" in "leven" / (French) "l" in "il" / (German) "L" in "Liebe" 30 20 31

m 6 6 " mi " bilabial nasal m m m (English) "m" in "him" / (Dutch) "m" in "mond" / (French) "m" in "manger" / (German) "m" in "rühmen" 29 19 30

n , , "nibum" alveolar nasal n n n (English) "n" in "nice" 15 10 16

o b b " on " ɔ ɔ ɔ (English) "o" in "pot" / (Dutch) "o" in "bot" / (French) "o" in "sort" / (German) "o" in "voll" / (Faroese) "o" in "morgun" 31 22 32

ô n M " siginon " (long O) oː oː ɔ: WEST: (Irish/Welsh English) "one" in "bone" / (Dutch) "oo" in "kool" / (French) "eau" in "rèseau" / (German) "oh" in "Kohl" // EAST: (British English) "our" in "four" / (Italian) "o" in "parola" / (West Frisian) "ô" in "bôle" 32 33

r @ @ " rarur " alveolar trill r r R WEST (and Central): "more like the Scottich "r" - (Dutch) "r" in "rood" / (Finnish) "rr" in "purra" / (Scots) "r" in "wir" / / EAST: "more like the French "R"/ (French) "r" in "rouge" 8 5 9

s . . " sasus " voiceless alveolar sibilant s s s (English) "s" in "sand" / (Dutch) "s" in "steen" / (French) "ç" in "façade" / (German) "ss" in "Biss" 24 14 26

sh % % " shashum " voiceless palato-alveolar fricative ʃ ʃ ʃ (English) "sh" in "sheep" / (Dutch) "sj" in "sjabloon" / (German) "sch" in "schön" / (Hebrew) first sound in "‫[ "שלום‬ʃalom] 34 24 35

t 8 8 " tutum " voiceless alveolar plosive t t t (English) "t" in "stand" / (Dutch) "t" in "taal / (French) "t" in "tordu" / (German) "T" in "Tochter" 25 15 6

th 0 0 " thamu " heavily aspired voiceless alveolar plosive tʰ tʰ tʰ Heavily aspired form of "t", similar to (English) "t" in "torn" 4 3 5

a/o Z ? "ùt" (caret) low-mid back unrounded vowel ʌ ʌ ʌ 'u', as in british-english butter [ˈbʌtə˞] or as in american-english butter [ˈbʌɾə˞] 3 36

u S S " unu " ʊ ʊ u WEST (and central) : (English) "oo" in "hook" / (German) "u" in "Schutz" / (Dutch) "oe" in "doek" EAST : (Italian) "u" in "tutta" / (Scottish Gaelic) "u" in "gu" 2 2 2

û D G " siginunu " (long U) u: u: u: (English) "oo" in "food" / (Dutch) "oe" in "boer" / (German) "u" in "Fuß" / (French) as "ou?" 5 4

w F F " wur " voiced labiovelar approximant w w w (English) "w" in "weep" / (French) "ou" in "oui" / (Dutch) "w" in "welp" 13 8 14

y ; ; " yamuy " palatal approximant j j j (English) "y" in "you" / (Dutch) "j" in "jaar" / (French) "y" in "yaourt" / (German) "J" in "Joch" 35 25 3

z w D " zatu " voiced alveolar fricatives z z z (English) "z" in "size" / (Dutch) "z" in "zee" / (French) "z" in "zèbre" / (German) "s" in "süß" 23 13 25

Combinations
nd d d " undun " nd nd nd construction of "n" and "d" sounds 19 20
ng j j " angam " ng ng ng construction of "n" and "g" sounds (Note: not an " ɲ " sound) 17 21 18
nj K K " inja " nd͡ʒ nd͡ʒ nd͡ʒ construction of "n" and "d͡ʒ" sounds 18 19
nn u u "yan nibum" (double n) n.n n.n n.n gemination of "n" sounds 16 17

Erebor Typical Signs

ks e. w "ksubam" Voiceless velar plosive followed by voiceless alveolar sibilant ks ks ks (English) "x" in "fox" 26
ps 1. X " psubam " voiceless bilabial plosive (stressed) followed by voiceless alveolar sibilant (faint) ps ps ps contruction of stressed "p" with faint "s" 28
ts 8. C " tsubam " voiceless alveolar plosive (stressed) followed by voiceless alveolar sibilant (faint) ts ts ts contruction of stressed "t" with faint "s" 29

Historic Signs (only in written form with the four Easterns Clans) 36 30 37
/ > "abn" (schwa) ə ə ə "schwa" - (English), the most common vowel sound in English "a" in "about", "u" in "supply", "i" in "pencil"

Punctuation Marks
space I I "serej" (empty) ][ ][ ][
& B B " ra " (and)

full stop P P "'ekhez" (full stop) ]. ]. ].

Non-native Signs
p 1 1 "pom" Voiceless bilabial stop n/a n/a n/a not native to Khuzdul (for names and non-native words otherwise pronounced identical to English) 27* 24
v 4 4 "vatu" Voiced labiodental fricative n/a n/a n/a not native to Khuzdul (for names and non-native words otherwise pronounced identical to English) 38

27* = was added when "psubam" was introduced to the writing system
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